What is lupus?

Lupus Foundation of AmericaDecember 6, 2017

Resource Content

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body (skin, joints, and/or organs). "Chronic" means that the signs and symptoms tend to last longer than six weeks and often for many years.

In lupus, something goes wrong with the immune system, which is the part of the body that fights off viruses, bacteria, and germs ("foreign invaders," like the flu). Normally our immune systems produce proteins called "antibodies" which protect the body from these invaders.

"Autoimmunity" means your immune system cannot tell the difference between these foreign invaders and your body’s healthy tissues ("auto" means "self"). As a result, it creates autoantibodies that attack and destroy healthy tissue.

These autoantibodies cause inflammation, pain, and damage in various parts of the body.

Additional facts about lupus that you should know:

Lupus is not contagious, not even through sexual contact. You cannot "catch" lupus from someone or "give" lupus to someone.

Lupus is not like or related to cancer. Cancer is a condition of malignant, abnormal tissues that grow rapidly and spread into surrounding tissues. Lupus is an autoimmune disease, as described above. However, some treatments for lupus may include immunosuppressant drugs that are also used in chemotherapy.

Lupus is not like or related to HIV (Human Immune Deficiency Virus) or AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). In HIV or AIDS the immune system is underactive; in lupus, the immune system is overactive.

Lupus can range from mild to life-threatening and should always be treated by a doctor. With good medical care, most people with lupus can lead a full life.

16,000Number of new cases of lupus reported each year.

15-44Most people who develop lupus are in this age range.

More than 16,000 new cases of lupus are reported annually across the country.

Our research estimates that at least 1.5 million Americans have lupus. The actual number may be higher; however, there have been no large-scale studies to show the actual number of people in the U.S. living with lupus.

It is believed that 5 million people throughout the world have a form of lupus.

Lupus strikes mostly women of childbearing age. However, men, children, and teenagers develop lupus, too. Most people with lupus develop the disease between the ages of 15-44.

Women of color are two to three times more likely to develop lupus than Caucasians.

The National Resource Center on Lupus is, in part, supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under Cooperative Agreement Number NU58 DP006139. Its contents are solely the responsibility of its developers. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Health and Human Services.